Min Zou Announced as a Fellow in National Academy of Inventors

Min Zou, Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering 

​Min Zou, a Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Arkansas, has been named to the National Academy of Inventors’ 2024 class of fellows. She joins 170 fellows from around the world who will be formally inducted into the academy, known as the NAI, at the 14th annual meeting to be held in June of 2025. 

“I am deeply honored to be elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors,“ Zou said. “My heartfelt thanks go to my nominator for recognizing my work, to the leadership at the College of Engineering, my department, the Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering, Technology Ventures for their support in IP development and commercialization, my talented students for their invaluable contributions, and to the Arkansas Research Alliance for facilitating industry connections.”  

Zou’s research addresses the mechanical, frictional, optical and surface wetting properties of nano-engineered materials, including surfaces that both repel and attract water. She has invented durable, low-friction coatings for machinery components, significantly improving their performance and longevity. Additionally, her anti-reflective coatings with self-cleaning and anti-fogging properties have enhanced the efficiency and lifespan of solar panels and LED lighting, contributing to the renewable energy sector.   

One of Zou’s notable innovations includes the development of the world’s largest polysilicon grain for solar cells at the time of its invention, achieved through aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon, a pivotal advancement in solar energy technology. She also pioneered a 3D printing process to reduce friction and wear in artificial knee menisci. Furthermore, her techniques for digitizing and fabricating custom surface topographies with submicron resolution have advanced surface topography engineering.   

Zou, in her 22nd year with the university, is a research powerhouse. She’s been awarded approximately $30 million in external research funding in which she serves as the principal investigator, published 144 peer-reviewed papers and been elected as a fellow in several professional societies, including the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers. 

Ranu Jung, the founding executive director of the Institute for Integrative & Innovative Research (or I³R) at the University of Arkansas, nominated Zou for induction into the NAI. Researchers at I³R, in collaboration with Zou, are studying how body movements and tissues affect implanted electronic devices. . 

“Prof. Min Zou has demonstrated exceptional achievements in surface and materials engineering, profoundly impacting public welfare and economic growth through her innovative contributions,” Jung wrote. 

Jung, already a fellow in the NAI, also noted that Zou has nurtured an entrepreneurial spirit in her undergraduate students by incorporating patent search and creativity into courses she teaches, encouraging and supporting her research group to pursue entrepreneurship training, such as earning entrepreneur certificates, participating in the BioDesign Sprints Program at University of Arkansas, and completing the NSF I-Corps program. 

Kim Needy, dean of the college of Engineering, said of the honor: “We’re not only fortunate as a college to have Min Zou, we’re fortunate as a society to have her brilliant and creative mind working on how to solve tough problems in diverse areas of science. This honor is so well-deserved, and I’m privileged to add my congratulations.” 

In addition to Jung, Zou joins Ingrid Fritsch, professor of chemistry; Hameed Naseem, University Professor of electrical engineering; and Joshua Sakon, professor of biochemistry, as National Academy of Inventor Fellows.  

Executive director of Technology Ventures, David Hinton heads up the local chapter of NAI. He said he hopes to nominate a new fellow every year for the national academy.